Apparatus for packing cigarettes



July 17, 1962 Filed Jan. 20, 1960 L. RODE APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1962 L. RODE 3,04

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig3 2 Fig4 l i I 5 2 26 Q iv I. m I

July 17, 1962 L. RODE 3,044,370

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 17, 1962 L. RCADE 3,044,370

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 7

July 17, 1962 L. RODE 3,044,370

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 8 sheets sheez 5 July 17, 1962 L. RODE 3,044,370

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 July 17, 1962 RODE APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 20, 1960 Fig. 77

July 17, 1962 L. RODE 3,044,370

APPARATUS FOR PACKING CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 20, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 i T 2 208 W q 22 I 22 J' United States Patent The present invention relates to apparatus for packing cigarettes and other rod-like articles and particularly to the use of open-topped containers for cigarettes and like articles and particularly concerns an improvement of the apparatus described in the copending United States patent application Serial No. 782,425, filed on December 23, 1958 by Max Pollman, and issued as Patent No.

2,991,605, dated July 11, 1961.

In accordance with said copending application apparatus is provided for inserting groups of rod-like articles into open-ended containers in which the articles are fed along a linear feed track and the containers are introduced into said track by means of a turret provided with movable cell-like members adapted to reciprocate in the slot on each side of the turret in a direction coincident with the linear track so as to receive articles from said track, to feed them into the container carried by said tur ret, to receive containers and articles leaving said turret and to feed them for continuing movement in said linear track.

In this manner an open topped package is inserted radially into a cell of the turret and in the path of movement from the insertion point to a packing track the package is stiifened at the edges by means of folding elements which fold inwardly the outwardly projecting flaps of the container, which elements are in turn controlled by guide tracks and guide rollers.

The present invention is specifically directed to such edge-stiffened containers. As described in the copending application the cell members are rotatable in the turret and are so controlled after the insertion of the container that at least two adjacent cells are aligned parallel one to the other and come into line with folding elements which are arranged for folding in the open projecting flaps on the wide and the narrow sides of the container and are mounted on a common reciprocating slide.

With thin card or paper there is the danger that the folding elements for folding in the open projecting flaps of the container, particularly the flaps on the wider side, press inwardly the whole wider side of the container without the open flap thereof being folded inwards in the proper manner. Moreover, there is the danger that the position of the fold lines may not always occur uniformly so that the finished folded container has an unsatisfactory appearance.

In order to minimize these difiiculties, the invention proposes that a plunger head shall be interposed in front of the folding elements, which plunger head includes two opposed projecting wing parts at the end facing outwardly of the container and around the edges of which the open projecting container flaps are folded, especially the walls on the wide sides thereof.

Guide rollers for the folding elements for the wider sides are engaged by guide tracks which are divided into stationary rear tracks and mechanically controlled pivotal run-on tracks, between which pivoted switch elements are provided movable by the guide rollers in one direction.

A folding device for laying down the open wider side 3,d44,37 vPatented July 17, 1962 FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the entire folding apparatus,

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an end elevation view of the apparatus viewed in the direction of the'arrow E in FIG. 6,

FIG. 9 shows details of the control for the pivoted tracks,

FIG. 10 shows the parts of FIG. 9 when viewed in the direction of the arrow F in FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 shows the driving mechanism along the line 1111 in FIG. 12, and

FIG. 12 shows the driving mechanism along the line 1212 of FIG. 11. Y

The apparatus shown in the drawings represents the improvements applied to the apparatus disclosed in said copending application to which reference should be made for the details of the packing machine. The tubular package blanks 2 have been inserted in cell members 3 of a rotary turret. A slide member 14 is provided to which a plunger 101 is secured which carries at'its forward end a plunger head 162. This plunger head 102 is provided with two projecting wing parts at its end facing away'from the package blank 2 and the edges 103 of the wing parts extend along the wider side walls of the blank when in position therein, and are spaced one from the other by an amount which corresponds approximately -to the free width of the blank inserted in the turret cell 3 measured between the wider sides but less than twice the thickness of the paper. These edges 1% serve as fold-forming edges for the wider side flaps 25, 26 of the blank. Bearing arms 104 are mounted approximately at the center of the plunger 101 on both sides thereof provided with apertures 195 at their ends in which pivot pins 106 for the folder blades and 116 are inserted.

The folder blades 115 and 116 are supported intermediate their ends on the pivot pins 166. The arms of the folder blades 115, 116 facing the turret cells 3 are constructed as shown in FIG. 2 as folder arms 115a, 116a and the arms opposite the pockets 3 arearranged as actuator arms 115b and 11611 carrying rotatable guide rollers 22 at their free ends. The guides for the rollers 22 consist of stationary rear guide tracks 123, the mechanically controlled pivotal run-on tracks 1W7 and pivotal catch blades 1158 which in the return direction are pushed aside. by the guide rollers 22.

The device operates as follows:

On stoppage of the turret of the packing machine the folding device is in the position shown in FIG. 1 in which it is aligned with the tubular blank 2 inserted in the turret cell 3. Thereupon the slider 14 is moved by any suitable drive mechanism in the direction towards the pocket 3 and the plunger head 1112 and the plunger 191 travel into the container located in the cell 3 (FIG. 2).

During this forward movement of the slide 14 the guide rollers 22 travel first along the rear guide tracks 123 and then along the blades 1118 so that the folder arms 2115b and 116b are moved inwardly and the folder arms 115a and 116a are rocked outwardly. On the further forward movement of the slide 14 the wing edges 103 of the plungenhead 102 reach a sides of the container which corresponds to the desired fold lines for the flaps 25 and 26 (FIG. 3). ing this position the guide rollers 22 have moved past the position shown in FIG. 2 beyond the ends of the blades 108 and have moved outwardly into contact with the pivotally mounted tracks 107 so that the folder arms 11519 and 116b have moved outwardly o. the position shown in FIG. 3 and the folderarms 115a and 116:: are rocked inwardly sothat the flaps 25, 26 are folded approximately about an angle of 90 about the fold edges -3.

The slide 14 (FIG. 4) nowrnoves further toward the cell 3' and thereby the plunger head 102' enters further into the container blank 2 and the flaps 25,26 are operated to-fold the flaps 25, 26 further inwardly. This.

further inward folding is efiected by a rocking movement of the pivoted tracks 107 in the direction of the arrow is necessary because otherwise there is the danger that the fold edges 103 will engage the inner edges of the flaps 25 and 26 and bend the same away from the walls. During the further return movement of the slide 14 the guide rollers 22 cause the flaps 108 to rock idly in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5 and then pass between the pivoted tracks 107 and the catch blades 108 into the region of the rear tracks 123 as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the apparatus is driven by a suitable prime mover, such as forinstance an electric motor, which by an endless chain or the like: drives a chain wheel 202 fixedly attached to a main shaft 203 rotatably supported in a gear casing 201. The main shaft 203 has also attached thereto a gear 204 which drives relativepositi n to the wider On reach- 7 209 and the roller 211 causes the slide 14 to be reciprocated with the intended alternating speed.

The construction and operation of the blades 108 is as follows: V V

According to the FIGS. 9 and '10 each blade 108 is provided with a pin 109 which is rotatably supported in a bearing 110. The free end of the pin 109 projecting from the bearing 110 has secured thereto a lever 111 at the outer end of which one end of a tension spring 112 is attached. The other end of the spring 112 is attached to a bracket 113. The bracket 113 and the hearing 110 are mounted on a plate 114 which is adjustably mounted on a block :117gby means'of screws passing through slots or the like (see also FIG. 7). The block 117 in turn is adjustably mounted in similar manner as the plate 114 to a portion of the machine frame.

" one end of a tension spring 306, the other end of which is attached to a bolt 307 secured to the wall of the gear casing 201. The arrangement is such that the spring 306 urges the roller 302 yieldably in engagement with the parallel to the'wall W a gear 205 loosely rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 206. The gear 205 meshes with a gear 207 which is loosely rotatably mounted on a'shaft. 208. The shaft 206 is fixedly attached to the walls W and W of the. gear casing 201, but the shafts 203 and 208 are rotatably supported bythese walls. V

The gear 207 has attached to one side thereof a cam circumference of the cam disc 301.

The lower end of the lever 304 is secured to a shaft 308 which is rotatably supported in bearings 309. The drawing shows in the FIGS. 6 and 7 only one bearing 309 which is arranged on the wall W of the gear casing 201 and the shaft 308 is shown as being'broken away at this point: It should, however, be noted that a second bearing 309 for the shaft 308 is arranged on the other wall.

W of the gear casing 201. The wall W is arranged extends outwardly of the gear casing'201, namely through the bearing 309 on the wall W has attached thereto an ofiset lever 310 the lower end of which carries a pin 311 disc 209 provided within its perimeter with an endless cam path which is engaged by a guide roller 211 mounted rotatably on a belt 212. The bolt 212 is attached to a lever 213, namely to a point between the ends thereoff shaft 206." The other arm 222 of the lever 221 carries double arm lever 221 which is loosely rotatable on the which is rotatable. The pin 311 is provided with a transverse bore 312 for receiving one end of a control rod 313, the other end of which is slidably mounted in the block 117; The control rod 313 has adjustably mounted thereon a block 314 which has two lateral: projections 315 and 316 which engages the circumference of the rollers 317 and 318. These rollers are rotatably mounted on bolts 319 and 320 which are secured on one arm of double arm levers 321 and 322. The other arm of each of these levers 321 and 322 has attached thereto the ends of tension springs 323 and 324, respectively, the other ends of which are attached to brackets 32S and 326, respectively. The brackets 325 and 326 are fixedly attached to the block 117. The levers 321 and 322 are attached to the shafts 327 and 328, respectively, which are arranged on the other ends of the tracks 107 and control 1 the operation of the same.

a toothed sector 223 which meshes with and rotates a gear 224 fixed on the shaft 208. One end 225 of the.

shaft 208 has a disc 226 attached thereto which carries an eccentrically arranged pin 227 having a roller 228 thereon. The roller 228 engages a grooved portion 229 (FIG. 7) forming a portion of the slide 14 which slides along the guide rod 230 (FIG. 8). .The guide rod 230 is secured in brackets 231 and232 mounted on or form 7 What I claim is:

1. In a an apparatus for reinforcing the top edges of open-ended containers for cigarettes and the like, in which marginal flaps at the open end of the container are folded inwardly against the inner faces of the container walls,

a plunger provided with a head, means for reciprocating said plunger toward and away from said container, folding elements adapted to fold said marginal flaps inwardly after said plunger has been inserted into the inside of the container, said folding elements being mounted for pivotal movement rearwardly of said plunger head, two opposed wing-shaped parts arranged on said plunger head and having outwardly and rearwardly positioned edges which in one position of the plunger extend along opposed walls of the container to permit initial folding of said marginal flaps of the container by said folding elements against the rearwardly and outwardly positioned edges of said plung- The end of the shaft 308 which er, and means causing said folding elements to complete the folding of said marginal flaps against said inner faces of the container walls, the outwardly and rearwardly p0 sitioned edges of said plunger head being arranged to align with the fold area between the container and marginal flaps when said plunger head is in its operative position.

2. In an apparatus for reinforcing the top edges of open-ended containers for cigarettes and the like, in which morginal flaps at the open end of the container are folded inwardly against the inner faces of the container walls, a plunger provided with a head, means for reciprocating said plunger into and out of said container, said plunger being arranged to prevent the walls of said container from collapsing during the infolding of said marginal flaps, folding elements adapted to fold said flaps inwardly and to be inserted with said plunger head into the inside of the container, said folded elements being mounted for pivotal movement rearwardly of said plunger head, two opposed wing-shaped parts arranged on said plunger head and having outwardly and rearwardly positioned edges which in one position of the plunger extend along opposed walls of the container in the fold area of said flaps to permit initial folding of said marginal flaps of the container, means causing said folding elements to complete the folding of said marginal flaps against said inner faces of the container walls and hold the marginal flaps against the inner faces of the container walls out of the path of said plunger head when said plunger head is moved out of said container, said folding elements being formed of levers pivoted between their ends and provided at one end with flat presser faces for engaging the inner faces of the container walls, and control means engaging the other ends of said levers.

3. In an apparatus for reinforcing the top edges of open-ended containers for cigarettes and the like, in which marginal flaps at the open end of the container are folded inwardly against the inner faces of the container walls, a plunger provided with a head, means for reciprocating said plunger toward and away from said container, folding elements adapted to be inserted with said plunger head into the inside of the container mounted for pivotal movement rearwardly of said plunger head, two opposed wingshaped parts arranged on said plunger head and having outwardly and rearwardly positioned edges which in one position of the plunger extend along opposed walls of the container to permit initial folding of said marginal flaps of the container, means causing said folding elements to complete the folding of said marginal flaps against said inner faces of the container walls, said folding elements being formed of levers pivoted between their ends and provided at one end with flat presser faces for engaging the inner faces .of the container walls, control means engaging the other ends of said levers, said control means including guide rollers on said other ends of said levers and adapted to engage stationary rear tracks, pivotally mounted front tracks and switch blades, means for adjusting said front tracks, said blades being pivotally mounted and during the movement of the plunger toward said container engage said guide rollers so that said levers are actuated and spread apart at their ends having the flat faces thereon.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, including control means for causing said presser faces on said levers to move first apart and then one towards each other during the movement of the plunger toward the container, the latter movement producing a folding of the marginal flaps of the container beyond the edges of the wing parts of the plunger head, this folding being completed by an outward movement of the presser faces caused by pivotally mounted tracks engaging the rear ends of said lovers.

5. In an apparatus for reinforcing the top edges of open-ended containers for cigarettes and the like, in which marginal flaps at the open end of the container are folded inwardly against the inner faces of the container walls, a plunger provided with a head, means for reciprocating said plunger into and out of said container, folding elements adapted to fold said marginal flaps inwardly while said plunger is in said container to be inserted with said plunger. head into the inside of the container, said folding elements being mounted for pivotal movement rearwardly of said plunger head, two opposed wing-shaped parts arranged on said plunger head and having outwardly and rearwardly positioned edges which in one position of the plunger extend along opposed walls of the container in the area of the fold of said marginal flaps to permit initial folding of said marginal flaps of the container against the outwardly and rearwardly positioned edges of said plunger head, and means causing said folding elements to complete the folding of said marginal flaps against said inner faces of the container walls, the edges of the wing parts of said plunger head being shaped to engage the Wider inner wall faces of the container blank in the flap-folding position to permit the corresponding marginal flaps to be moved toward said inner wall faces.

6. In an apparatus for infolding the flaps of a container, a receptacle for receiving said container with the flaps thereof projecting from one end of said receptacle, a plunger movable into and out of said container, means on said plunger adapted to be presented to the fold area of said flaps when said plunger is moved into said container, folding elements on said plunger movable to fold said flaps inwardly and into said container upon continued movement of said plunger, and means operable to exert an outward pressure on said folding element after the plunger and folding elements have moved into the container a predetermined distance to force said flaps into engagement with the container walls and retain the same in position during withdrawal of said plunger head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,401 Joslin Dec. 8, 1931 2,887,020 Currie May 19, 1959 

